My Life sigh
by Rath Set-Seraph
Summary: Ryou has moved to another city, full of odd people and happenings, trying to adapt despite Bakura's stranger-than-usual-behavior. Something is now out to get Bakura and Ryou, and the "salvation" that is offered doesn't look too inviting...
1. First Impressions

Thud.

Ryou Bakura woke up, with his face buried into the carpet. He mumbled incoherently as he attempted to untangle himself from the sea of sheets and covers he was drowning in. He raised his arm and slammed a weak fist against the digital clock that was blurting out an alarm. It wouldn't shut up. He lifted himself up, using the help of his night table greatly and began to push numerous buttons, not really caring which one he hit, as long as it was quiet. No luck. He narrowed his eyes and ripped the cord out of the wall. His small bedroom was engulfed in joyous silence.

__

My, my, aren't we cranky this morning. Ryou frowned and got up, shuffling his mass of white hair around so he could actually see.

__

/You would be also, had you been spending all night cleaning a mess you didn't make. /

Well, pardon me that you don't have a dartboard.

/So you use my wall, crayons and steak knives? Honestly I thought you were more mature and civilized than that. /

You can take the man outta the fight, but you can't take the fight outta the man. Ryou sighed again and closed the link. It was worthless to try and reason with his now 'calm' yami. After being in the shadow realm for so long, Bakura had finally given up on his little world conquest phase, but tensions were still strong between him and Yami. Bakura was now on the evil side of good, if that's what you'd call it.

He changed into a pair of jeans and a white button down shirt from a large black suitcase. Ryou chose out a white sweater with a blue strip around the neck and tied it around his waist. He slipped on the Millennium Ring and watched as it shined a brilliant white then disappeared beneath his shirt. He felt the metal sting at his skin then disappear completely. He never did have an idea of where is went, and truly, he didn't want to know. Tripping over boxes and random objects, he then headed down stairs to make some breakfast for himself. Ryou toasted a bagel and sat outside on the front porch swing. He sat there, staring out into space for a bit and began to swing slowly.

'What shall I do today?' He mumbled aloud to himself. _Well, go see a doctor. You're talking to yourself again. _

/Aren't I talking to you? / He snapped back, very quickly, but still managed to keep a small shred politeness. He yawned to show that he was still a bit irritated with Bakura.

__

As I said, talking to yourself, and I don't think that guy knows it. Ryou could feel the mirth in Bakura.

__

/Hm? What guy? / His eyebrows furrowed in confusion and he looked around. Sure enough, there was a man standing on the sidewalk, arching an eyebrow at his strange behavior. A brown, black and white specked Australian Cattle dog stared also, but barked impatiently and jerked the leash. He waved warily, blushing slightly with embarrassment.

" Oh, hello, I'm sorry. Just thinking about something…" The man smiled reassuringly and his brown eyes closed behind his glasses.

" Do it all the time. Ya' just moved here, right?" He asked. The dog barked once again, and not receiving any attention, it lay down, its ruffled head resting on neat paws. 

"Er, yes, I did… How did you…?" He pressed, but strayed off, not wanting to look nosy.

" I live down the street and my son saw the moving van, well, welcome to Hidekio!" The man smile largened and he spread out his arms, referring to the houses and buildings behind him.

" Alright, thank you very much, um…" 

" Daniel Craven. I know, not Japanese. Job opportune, you know?" The smile remained, eerily this time…

" Thank you again, C-." Ryou coughed and his voice deepened dramatically.

"Craven. Well, I hope to meet you again." The dog's ears suddenly perked and it bounded towards Ryou, barking ringing through their ears. 

"Amun, stop it! Stop it! Pardon me, I must go now. Have a nice day." Craven bowed slightly and walked away, dragging the dog. It continued the noise, ignoring the calls. There was a sharp whistle and the dog looked at him. It turned back to Ryou. It stared, but then chased after its master.

__

I despise him. 

/Oh, but Yami, you despise everyone_. /_

Shut it, Ryou, I know what the hell I'm talking about. I don't like this guy. He's hiding something… My gut tells me so…

/Your 'gut' feeling is probably my stomach being hungry. May I now have my body back so I can eat my breakfast? / 

Fuck off, Ryou, just fuck off. With that Bakura sulked to his soul-chamber. Ryou ate his bagel slowly, thinking of what was so wrong with Craven. Well, the smile was creepy, but the man probably just had a sunny disposition, Ryou thought to himself. He finished his meal idly and went back upstairs to his room. Grabbing his brush, he looked out the window while the bristles ran through his thick white locks. 

__

What is the point of long hair?

/I thought you were asleep. /

I was going to, but look out the window, towards the bottom right. Ryou tilted his head and looked out the window. Craven was there, talking to someone in a deep blue sleek car. Curiouser and curiouser… He said, remotely feeling like Alice in Wonderland. Oh, joy, I'm comparing myself to a blond English child… and not only that, a delirious one. He frowned slightly. 

As he turned to walk from the window, he got a strange feeling and turned his head once more. Craven suddenly snapped around and glared at the window. Ryou gasped slightly and ducked down under the window and placed his hands over his head. His brown eyes squeezed shut and he curled up into a tight ball.

__

Oh, relax you moron! He's not gonna shoot you or anything.

/Please, Yami, don't fill my heads with horrific and scary ideas… / Ryou pleaded, a bit of actual fear setting in. 

__

Homicide, shootings, stabbing, suicide, molestation, drugging …Bakura continued with no problem of quilt to bother him. He was having too much fun toying with Ryou's mind. 

__

/YAMI!! / He pleaded louder, and a shiver ran down his spine at any thought of something disrupting the peacefulness of his life.

__

Okay, okay, on my Ra! Watch it, hikari! Duck! Ryou yelped and dove to the floor, cowering under the sweater he tore from his waist. His bottom lip quivered and then he realized that Bakura was having his fun.

__

/Yami. I swear th-/

'Don't you have some business to attend to, my dear hikari?' 

/Er, no, oh, do you mean meeting the head of my new school? Why? Not until ten o'clock… /

It is_ ten o'clock, Ryou._ Ryou's eyes widened and the sweater was lifted from his head.

__

/Please say your kidding me… /

Have fun. Ryou got up and ran out of the house, barely fumbling with his keys to lock the door and shoving his wallet, cell phone and directions to his new school into his pocket. He thought to himself as he ran down the street towards his school.

'I do hope the rest of my life isn't like this…'

Rath- Okay, what d'ya' think? I truly have no idea why I did this. Guess I was bored. Well, thanks and ja ne.

Set- Yeah, okay, well, later.


	2. Lemme Introduce You to the Gang

Rath- Hello, welcome back to the story. 

Set- You okay, Rath-ey?

Rath- Yep. I-I-

Set- Here it comes…

Rath- Why? WHY?! T_T

Set- Perfectionism. The fault of every hikari. Well, mine at the least. Let's not go into that, though. Looks like I'll be typin' this chapter. Have fun.

-We no own Yu-gi-oh-

Rath- SET. GRAMMER. FIX. NOW.

Set- Oh, for the friggin' love of lights, fine, hikari! The hell I'll do to make sure Rath's alright. *continues to mumble*

-We don't own Yu-gi-oh-

__

Have fun. Ryou got up and ran out of the house, barely fumbling with his keys to lock the door and shoving his wallet, cell phone and directions to his new school into his pocket. He thought to himself as he ran down the street towards his school.

'I do hope the rest of my life isn't like this…' He continued to run down the street, some hair blowing into his eyes occasionally. He ran to the stop sign and paused a moment, hands resting on his knees. A car drove by, a blue one. A stern looking woman, with short slicked brown hair glanced at him for a moment as she drove by. He looked up and made eye contact. Just for a split second, but time seemed to ware on as he did. 

__

Ryou's biggest mistake making eye contact with a mysterious person that looks like she would kill him in a nano-second.

/No, my biggest mistake was listening to you. / He looked both ways, than went off again into a full out sprint. 

'Please, move! Excuse me, pardon!' He yelled as he came closer to the heart of the town and people began to fill the roads and sidewalks. There were several shouts of anger behind him, but he ignored it. Or more of didn't notice it. He was too busy fighting with his Yami to care, really.

__

/Must you be so ignorant? /

S'cuse me, Sir, I mean Lady Polite.

/Oh, yes, I'm sure the rest of the world should be crude and stupid as you are! /

Take that back, Ryou.

/In your words, Yami, 'fuck off.'/

Fine, then. I guess I should. I mean, I wouldn't be of any help considering the fact that you're lost. Lost? Ryou though. I'm not lost… He stopped running and looked around, feeling very foolish. He tried to calm his labored breathing; it was causing him to attract more attention than needed. 

__

/Yami? Please, Yami? Help? / 

Only a silence greeted him. Ryou let out a small sob-exasperated sigh hybrid. Why am I always in situations as these? He whined in his head. He walked around, avoiding large groups of large, tough looking people. Graffiti added color to the otherwise dull roads and buildings. He clutched one arm as he walked, not noticing his fingers digging into his skin and leaving bright red marks. Eyes could be felt on him and he was sure his uncomfort showed. His head turned slightly, despite his own warnings of how much of a mistake that was. Once again eye contact was made with the loudest one on the group who was telling some joke that caused echoes of laughter. Brown eyes stared at the lighter ones and then wavered and fell back to the ground. Again? First that woman, but now… They seemed familiar, but from where?

His pace increased as he turned the corner into a secluded alley. He relaxed against the wall and sighed in relief. He bit his lip, and closed his eyes. Thank God I'm alright. He thought, slightly trembling. Oh, dear, I'm going to be late, what are they going to think about me? I haven't been in school yet and I'm already going to be in trouble…

'What the fuck you doin' here?' An angry voice asked. Ryou snapped awake. He yelped and pushed off the wall, tripping over his own feet in surprise. About five men stood before him, all very mad, disgusting and grizzled looking. Ryou was too scared to think and he could feel the adrenaline rushing through his blood. His breathing rate increased again and he could hear his heart thumping in his chest. 

'I-I'm, sorry, I was just lost and I-'

'Shut it, faggot!' One man said, a red bandana wrapped around his messy heavily dyed blue mass of hair. 

'We don't like intruders, no matter the circumstances, got that, twerp?' Another said; stepping forward, muscles in the unnaturally large arms bulged. He suddenly rushed forward and grabbed Ryou by the neck, throwing him to the ground. He landed in a puddle of muddy water, staining his shirt and splattering across his hair and face. He struggled to rise, but couldn't rise as a foot came down on his stomach, forcing him to lie on his back. He winced and struggled to get up. He felt too vulnerable. Like a trapped animal. But when something is forced up to a corner, it fights back. 

His hand clasped onto a piece of concrete and his hurled it at the man's head. 

'Holy fu-' Was all he got out before it hit his eye. There was a disgruntled moan and he staggered back. One went to his aid while the rest turned and started to yell threats. 

__

/Yami! Please, Yami, help me! / There was no answer to his pleads. Ryou was on the verge of tears, not at the situation, but at the fact that his Yami wasn't going to help him. He staggered up and held his fists near his face, moving around slightly. I can do this; I can do this… He reassured himself again and again. About two of the four uninjured thugs pulled out switchblades.

'Kid, hope you like pain, cause you're gonna get one whole fuckin' world of it…' One smiled, showing off crooked and yellowed teeth. Two ran after him and both punched, but one fist with a mean looking knife. He ducked between the hands and ran between the two, but not without something to show for it. A red gash appeared his left arm. He grimaced and turned continued to run. Fighting was not his specialty. Yet, he did fairly well in track. He ran, too scared to hear for or look back at the men chasing him. A fence came of before him. 

'Oh, no, oh, no, oh, no, oh no!' He yelled. He pushed through the door, but barely, because of the chains holding it. A stabbing pain ripped through his arm and chest as a piece of cold metal scraped his wound. He held back a sob and tried to continue to go through. But something grabbed his shirt, leg and cut. 

It ripped him back to the side and slammed him to the ground and then to the brick wall. Ryou's head hit the wall and the world grew dizzy. The hands let go and Ryou stumbled forward. Blindly, he kicked the blur in front of him. It growled in pain and doubled over. Other hands grabbed him and began to scratch with nails and knives. Ryou just gave up, then. He didn't know why, but he gave up and just snapped out. He yelled with all his anger and just began punching and kicking like hell. Once in a while a punch landed, but only was repaid with a punch and kick of his own. He grabbed a knife by the blade, but threw it to a blurry shape. It screamed and fell to the ground. 

He looked around and saw shapes lying on the ground. The world blurred further and he stumbled through the alley. The blood continued to drip and his body still ached. The adrenaline in his blood was starting to ware off. It just couldn't go on. He was too tired…there was too much. So, he let his body rest and he just fell.

…

Bakura sat in his soul room. His hikari had to. He had to learn how to take care of himself.

'He must. He has to. He has no choice. It's too late to back down now. He must learn to fend himself. I won't be here forever…'

…

The group of teenagers that Ryou passed continued to talk, now immune to the screams and yells of the city. 

'Yo, Cedric? What's up? Y'okay?' Another teen's voice asked. 

'No, no, I'm not.' He mumbled, and then followed the path the white haired boy took. As he drew closer he could hear yells and thuds. His pace quickened. He had nothing to fear, he and his gang was the most powerful in the city… A bloody hand fell out of the alley. He ran over to it and was greeted by a jaw-dropper. Five men lay on the ground; moaning in pain and grumbling curses. The Brap gang… He looked at his feet. That white haired person covered in bruises and blood. Cedric turned him over and lifted him by his collar so he could study the boy's face. 

'Looks like you're a troublemaker huh? Come on. Wanna go to my place? Feh, why the hell am I even asking…?' Cedric threw Ryou over his shoulder and walked towards his house, ignoring the looks of his friends and gang members.

Set- Okay, bit of action thrown in there, well, review.

Rath- Ja ne. *.* (still recovering)

Set- Oh, boy… Later.


	3. Two Sorts of Pain

Rath- Okay, thankies to Nameless and Demell! 

Set- This story doesn't seem to be a hit, does it?

Rath- I'd prefer you not rub it in…

Set- I'm only being bluntly honest.

Rath- *sigh* Well, do enjoy this chappy, guys! 

-We no own Yu-gi-oh-

Bakura sat in his soul-room, the equivalent of an ancient Egyptian room. He was resting on his mat, the shadows being his only company. He could hear his hikari's thoughts and pleads for help. Help he would not give _could _not give. He sighed and turned to his other side, eyes scanning the room, simply studying his surroundings. The brown eyes swiveled around until they glared at the hourglass resting in a brown plain chest. It was a gorgeous item, gold, with menacingly haunting cobras running down the side. 

'You fucking bastard. Its your fault we're, _I'm _in this blood situation.' He snarled at it, though it did nothing to react, just resting there innocently, giving no indication to what it was doing. The sand fell in a slow, but steady pace, making no sound as each grain of sand fell to the next. Bakura stood and grabbed it, flinging it against a wall, anger filling in his eyes. It hit with a dull 'clink' and then fell to the ground, perfectly landing on its base, the sand still falling as if nothing had happened. 

Bakura felt the anger increase to unbearable limits and he fell once again to his knees. The anger was soon joined by angst. He slammed his fists against the floor and then buried his face into his hands. He curled up and began to sob. His breaths were ragged and made his entire body shake. Tears stained the floor, slowly forming a small puddle. He felt so over-whelmed with his life. 'Why couldn't, what about and what ifs' ran through his mind, blocking out any rational thoughts that may have come to his mind. Its not like they would have mattered anyway, Bakura could do nothing to change his fate. 

Bakura's breathing slowed and he shivered for an unknown reason. He went to a corner in the room, pulling up his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around himself. He took the knife at his side and carved lines up and down his arms, carefully, not wanting to cut too deep. He put it to his side then curled back up again. The blood seeped through his shirt and then ran down his bare skin. He picked up the knife again and threw it as had as he could at the hourglass. It phased through and hit the candle behind it. 

Only darkness came. 

…

'Yes. Yeah. No. All right. Bye then.' Cedric hung up the phone and sighed. This 'Bakura Ryou' was in big trouble with the officials, of school that is. He put Ryou's ID back in his wallet along with the rest of his belongings and left the phone. Cedric's green eyes looked over at the battered boy on the sofa. The cut on his arm was wrapped and the numerous small slashes disinfected. Cedric knew that the bruises would have to heal on their own. He walked over and lifted the boy's head. He moaned in slight pain. Cedric replaced the bloodied towel with a fresh one. He'd probably have to wash his blood-stiffed hair sometime… He picked up the once white shirt and stared at it. Blood, mud, dirt. Yep, that would have to be cleaned sometime too. He turned casually and was about to leave the room when a small voice said something to him.

'Thank you.' It mumbled. Cedric's eyebrows furrowed and he glanced over his shoulder at the sofa. He was awake, but barely it seemed as his voice sounded exhausted and his eyelids were half closed. 

'No prob. How ya' doin'? Wait, didn't mean to ask that.' Cedric said, holding up his hands. Ryou smiled and sat up, head slightly cocked.

'I'm about as fine as I'll get. But, not to be rude or anything… I'm sorry, but who are you? Where is this place?' Cedric cocked his head too.

'For what?'

'Hm?' Was his reply.

'Why did you say sorry, you did nothing wrong.' He came over and sat by Ryou, who looked positively baffled. 

'Oh, well, I, I guess for being a burden. You really didn't have to help me…' Ryou trailed off and looked down at his hands that were fumbling slightly with the sheet laid over him. Wow, this dude has major self-esteem issues… May as well help him outta this little slump. This can't be this guy's real personality… Cedric thought to himself.

'No worries. So, Ry-'

'Bakura.'

'What?'

'Bakura. How did you know my name?' Ryou stated plainly. He didn't really want anyone to call him by his first name, unless they were close to him.

'ID, wallet, don't worry, I didn't take your cash. Okay, then, Bakura, I'm Cedric Craven. You would be at my house. But I'm sure you'd like the add-'

'Craven?' Cedric stared at him. This boy was a boy of few words… Rude ones at that…

'Yes, Craven.' Cedric said, an edge of annoyance in his voice. Ryou caught the hint.

'Oh, dear, I'm sorry. I must seem very rude right now! Let me explain… I met a 'Daniel Craven' earlier today, he said he had a son. A-and I wondered if you were related… You see?' Ryou rushed to explain, not wanting to make a bad impression. Again, that is.

'Yep, that would be my Dad. Looks like me with an ever-there creepy smile?' 

'Yes, that's him!' Nodded Ryou, lightly, trying to ignore the pain growing in his head. It was growing to be a hassle. Ryou grimaced and clutched the back of his head. A new pain arose too…

__

Ryou, get your ass home. NOW.

/B-bakura? Wh-what are you-/

NOW.

/Al-alright. / Ryou forced himself up and began to walk towards the door. Cedric darted infront of him and gripped his shoulders.

'The fuck are you doing?!' He yelled. Ryou's shoulders shook as he laughed then he threw back his head, his body deadly still. He suddenly snapped to attention, a smirk on his lips and insanity written on the expression. 

'Thank you for your help. Here's your pay.' With that Bakura punched Cedric near his temple, knocking him out. A sound drew his eyes to the door. Someone was fumbling with the keys… A dog barked loudly and its nails could be heard tearing at the door.

'AMUN! CALM DOWN!!' A familiar voice yelled. Bakura growled then went into the kitchen where there was an open window. He jumped onto the sink, kicked out the screen and into the backyard. He skipped the fence and ran towards Ryou's house, thankful that the Cravens were on the same street. He ran and took the spare key from atop the light and unlocked the door, slamming it behind him. He sighed and leaned against the door and slowly sunk to the ground. 

…

__

/Yami? Please answer me, Yami? / Ryou asked in his soul form, sitting next to his body, which was currently in control of by Bakura, who was currently asleep. He shook his shoulder lightly and repeated the question. 

__

What? Was Bakura's groggy answer, opening an eyelid and looking at Ryou.

__

/Wh-why did you do that? What was wrong? / Ryou asked, staring intently for the answer. 

__

Craven was coming.

/And..?/

We can't let him know you are weakened. Bakura said matter-of-factly. He closed his eye and was about to go to sleep…

__

/WHAT?/ Ryou yelled into his ear and mind.

__

We can't let him know our body is weak now. Grumbled Bakura again, this time not even bothering to open one eye at the least.

__

/Our body? MY body! And what kind of reason is that? What kind of bloody reason is that? It's your fault we were even there! You made me late, you made me get beaten by a gang with out helping and now have scared the bloody hell out of the two people I just met! You are such a self-centered bastard! / Ryou yelled at Bakura, face flushed and he disappeared into his soul-chamber. Bakura's eyes both opened this time, as soon as he was aware that Ryou was safely in his soul-chamber asleep.

'Self-centered bastard…' He repeated to himself. 

'Don't worry, Ryou, you won't have to deal with me anymore…' He said sadly as a stab of pain ached his chest and his stomach twisted in guilt. 

Set- Er, nice chap, Rath.

Rath- What are you saying?

Set- Nothing in particular…

Rath- Alright then. Well, review please! Ja ne.

Set- Later.

Rath- Oh, yes, and a P.S. How old are Tom, Daniel, Rupert and Emma (Hp cast)? I can't seem to find their ages anywhere! -_-() Oh, and for Spiritless (another one of my stories) Does anyone have any ideas? Please answer in your reviews! Thank you!


	4. Confusion

Rath- Hello.

Set- Yeps.

Rath- Okay. 

Set- Yeps.

Rath- Too tired to introduce properly. 

Set- Yeps.

Rath- Okay, well-

Set- Enjoi.

Rath- Spelling, no interrupting. 

Set- Yeps.

Rath- -_-()

Set- -_-()

Rath- You can tell we're tired, right?

Set- Yeps.

Rath- Disclaimer.

Set- Yeps.

Rath- Like, today.

Set- Yeps.

-We no own Yu-gi-oh-

Ryou sat cross-legged in a rather uncomfortable chair in front of two men and a women. 

'So, Mr. Bakura, we received a call from Cedric yesterday…' One of the men started to say, he was in his fifties with gray silver hair. He face was dark and set in a constant frown. 

An ID hung from his chest pocket, Maso Kisho… Ryou noted. 

'Oh, yes, about that, I'm sorry! I ran into some trouble and I-'

'Calm down, dear boy!' The woman exclaimed at Ryou's outburst. Ryou took notice of her nametag also, Haru Ren. She was about forty with dirty blond hair and slim glasses.

'He explained everything to us, now, this is the second trimester, so we just wanted to see what you were like and whom you would have as a host and etc. Not often do we receive new students of your aptitude. No one in the area seems to have the intelligence that is up to our expectations.' The other man noted, voice with a cold edge to it. Was he being sarcastic? Ryou thought to himself. Ryou nodded nervously, hoping he wasn't upsetting anyone. His hands fidgeted and he gripped his knuckles unconsciously.

'So, tell us about yourself, Ry-.'

'Ba-bakrua, please.' Ryou mumbled as he looked down. He gained an odd look from the woman, but the two men remained stoic, although Ryou though that he saw a grin flicker on the edges of Maso's mouth… 

'Well, I, where do I start?' 

'Anywhere, boy, tell us some of your interests and any curricular activities you do, that should suffice for now.' 

'I, I like to study Ancient Egypt, Old and Middle Kingdom… History is an interesting subject in general… I like the American Civil War also… Reading is also a favorite pastime…' 

'And…?' The man pressed onward. ' Any sports, background..?'

'Well, my father is British and my mother was Japanese.'

'Was?'

'She's dead now. Well, I don't do any sports, but I do play piano…' Maso lifted an eyebrow with the mention of his mother. There was a silence at Ryou's quick over pass of his mother. Haru broke the silence though.

'Fine then, Bakura. I'm sure Cedric will love to be your host.'

'Pardon?' Ryou frowned. How would Cedric react to yesterday's fiasco? Surely not well…

'Well, yes. He and his father are both very into history. Cedric himself loves Egypt and his father happens to be the history teacher.' Ryou swallowed. Why, why did this always happen to him? He forced a smile.

'Okay, thank you very much.' He made his voice choke out.

'Wonderful, we'll see you on Monday. He will meet you at your house, 7:00, don't be late.' '

…Monday morning… 

'Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad…' Ryou kept saying to himself. He sat on his porch, rocking in the swing. Not only is Cedric his host, but, Bakura had said nothing to him the entire weekend. Ryou couldn't even feel his emotion through their link. 

'Do you always talk to yourself?' A voice asked behind him. Ryou yelped and fell to the floor, staring at who had appeared behind him. Cedric stood there smiling at Ryou. His blond hair was wrapped in a red bandanna. He walked over and helped Ryou from the ground.

'I'm Cedric Craven, your host!' He held out a hand to shake. Ryou gave him a wary look. Why was he acting like this? He very much knew who Ryou was. What was wrong with Cedric?

'Pleasure.' Ryou shook the tanned hand briefly and gathered his briefcase from the swinging bench. He tried to ignore the odd moment and went on with Cedric to walk to school. 

Rath-Short, I know, but we're tired.

Set- Yep.

Rath- Next update will be longer, promise.

Set- Yep.

Rath- Okay, ja ne.

Set- Yep. Later.


	5. They all seem fine, but be careful

Rath- Thankies to reviewers (Nameless, Demmel, Crawford and Fire Gemron). I know someone out there reads my story.

Set- Still funny.

Rath- Okay, well, I hopeiyvhdjk ,m

Set- Still funny. ^_^

"Moron! Stop playing with my swirl chair!" Says a rather irritated Rath. I love the wheels on that thing. Uh, oh… *thwack*

Rath- You very well know that you deserved that. -_-() 

-We do not own Yu-gi-ohb;ketaj h,

Set- I wanted to do the disclaimer!!

-We no own Yu-gi-oh-

Rath- "I HAD SAID, 'STOP PLAYING WITH THE DAMNED SWIRLEY CHAIR!'"

Ryou mostly stared down at his blue and white sneakers as they walked. Cedric, also, seemed the slightest bit thrown off by the meeting. He shrugged and slung his bag over his shoulder, whistling random notes into the air. They continued to walk as so, until a frustrated groan came from Cedric.

"Oh, come on. I know you're not mute, talk!" He said, strutting in front of Ryou, then walking backwards to make sure he could make eye contact. Ryou looked up and cocked his head slightly. 

"About what?" 

"Like what the hell is going on in the brain of yours." He smiled back, dropping back to Ryou and banging his fist slightly on Ryou's head. His white eyebrows furrowed and he smiled a bit. He opened his mouth to ask something but Cedric cut in, looking at a bleached cement building, surrounded by other teens.

"Here we are!" He laughed and went ahead, running to a familiar group of kids. They greeted him with laughs and claps on the back. It seems like something Jouno and Honda would do, Ryou noticed mentally. He didn't wish to admit so, but he did very much miss his old friends… He walked up slowly behind Cedric and stood there, watching their morning greeting rituals. The topic strayed off to last night's episode of a random show and Ryou followed as they walked into the building. 

Cedric turned abruptly and grabbed Ryou's wrist, dragging him into the group. 

"And here, my friends! I introduce to you, Bakura Ryou!" He announced, pretending to hold a microphone in the other hand. Ryou got various looks of welcome and some of irritation.

" So, you're the new kid, huh? That's cool, if you'd put it that way." A boy said, a glare on his face. He turned and walked to the window, brushing some black strands of hair from his eyes. 

"He means, 'welcome'. Please, do ignore his storm like moods, he'll be like that. He suffers from morning sickness. " A tall boy with messy brown hair commented. He was pale, and freckled, but looked as though he liked to spend time climbing trees and such. He stuck out his hand also to shake Ryou's. A girl with long blond hair came bounding up, a laptop clutched to her and she stopped inches from crashing into Ryou. 

"Good morning! My name's Ryo-ba! She smiled gleefully. Another girl came running behind her, fuming as best she could, mumbling about square roots of negative ones and such. 

"Okay, so lemme introduce the group! This is Arata, Mariko, Isamu, Takehiko, Kazuko, Mimirou and you already know Ryo-Ba." Cedric said, sweeping his hand in the air, indicating all the teens he had just named. 

Arata still stood by the window, but this time talking to himself and writing furiously on a piece of paper. I wonder what's up with him… Ryou thought as any sane person would, Arate did not seem like your average person… Mariko stood over his shoulder watching what he was writing and making occasional comments on the scribbles of writing. Isamu was singing a French song watching as Ryo-ba and Takehiko quarreled over math equations… Mimirou and Kazuko began to talk to Cedric and Ryou merely stood there, watching in awe at the sight. 

They seem 'normal' enough, if you'd call it that… He thought. Isamu seems nice, as with Kazuko… But, Bakura would have to stay a secret, he had already caused enough commotion.

__

Did I now…?

/Y- yami? I-I didn't know that you were…/ Ryou stuttered in his mind, completely unaware of his Yami's presence. 

__

I'm always in your thoughts, deal with it. They all seem fine, but careful. This town, itself seems odd, so watch your back. Bakura snapped back, the twinge of annoyance still there, but he seemed fine enough to speak with Ryou finally. But still that annoyance was only to cover the pain and misery that was on his shoulders. He just couldn't let Ryou know of such…

__

/A-alright. And Yami?/

What?

/I'm sorry for earlier, I didn't mean to offend you, I was just a bit frustrated…/ Bakura held back the urge to apologize himself, act normal, act normal… He kept repeating over and over to himself. Guilt clawed at him, he should be the one apologizing, not his Hikari…

__

Dun worry about it… Now snap back to reality, kid. You're drawing more attention to yourself than needed. Ryou phased back in the group with Kazuko in his face. 

"We though you were dead or something! What's up with you?" She asked, the look of curiosity on her face. Ryou sweat-dropped and smiled. 

"Sorry, just tired, thinking a bit…" She gave him a spectacle look then continued talking to Cedric. A loud bell rang into their ears and they all swarmed into a classroom along with a stampede of other students. Ryou followed their group into the far corner of the room. Roll call began, quite interestingly. Many answered with a simple 'here' but Cedric's group of friends seem to have their own answers…

"Arata." "Yo."

"Mariko." "Yes?" 

"Isamu." "Is not here!"

"Takehiko." "Hallo!" 

"Kazuko." Who chose to sing an American 3 Doors Down song.

"Mimirou." "What?"

"Ryo-Ba." "Good evening!"

"Cedric." "In the flesh!" Ryou himself answered a normal here and stared quizzically at the group Cedric chose to hang out with. Quite interesting people indeed... As homeroom came to an end they said their good byes and headed off in different directions. 

"Okay, Ryou. So, you're in my section so that's good, Kazuko and Takehiko are with us also. Let's go to class now." The day proceeded at a slow pace, each class rather boring in its own special way, partially because it was mostly review from the mid-terms taken by the other students. History was the last subject of the day before they would have to go to sport. They entered and sat down, waiting for the arrival of the teacher.

Craven came in soon enough and the class began. He wrote _How to Write Essays _on the board and his gift was the unwilling groan of the class. He turned and smiled at them. 

"Oh, believe me, all of you will need this! I took a good look at your essays on the civil war of Vietnam and, sorry to say, class and to put it bluntly, they were so bad, hell didn't want them. I'll hand them back here, and I want you all to take a good look at what I've written. You people are in well into high school and I'd expect more from you, come on people!" He scolded them. 

"Go over them and ask questions that you may have. We will spend this class figuring out the elements of an essay and what you need to have! After this class I expect no more crap like this!" Ryou sat there, looking at his hands and pencil, bored out of his mind. He heard footsteps coming towards him and he snapped his head up. Craven stood in front of him, smiling.

'So, Ryou, I'm glad to see you here! How's it been so far?"

'Oh, um, alright…"

"Well, that's good… Take care of yourself." He smiled eerily and slapped his back. Several hands raised up and Craven went to attend to them. Ryou sat there, more uncomfortable than before. Was Craven implying anything? Was there something he didn't know? Or something he did… 

Rath- Okay, hope you all liked it! I made sure this one was much longer than the last chap! What shall I do to Ryou and Bakura next? ^_^ You'll have to find out in the next chap! 

Set- Yes, of course. The new chap. Will be up soon. 

Rath- Oh, also, here are a few notes. I think I may start another story, humor and drama genres, with the life of Mokuba and Seto Kaiba, acting like, well normal brothers. Waddya guys think? Tell me in the reviews okay? I've got a few ideas, so if any of you like the Seto and Mokuba fics (like Spiritless or in general), this'll be fine (with a bit more humor of course. ^_^)

Set- Yeah, oh, and should we also stop writing What May Rise? Respond in reviews, people.

Rath- Okay, then, thankies and ja ne! ^_^

Set- Later.


	6. Let It Go

Rath- Hello. Welcome. Yadda, yadda…

Set- Well, well, Rath, don't get too happy there…

Rath- *forced smile* "Happy?" That does not even seem to cover it, Set! I'm just peachy! DANDY even. *mumbles about annihilation et cetera*

Set- Creepy, I think someone needs a rather large stress-reliever… Well, since Rath looks as though anyone and everyone who would dare come within a ten- mile radius will have their heads mounted above the fireplace, I think I'll be typing this chap. Enjoi. *bows*

-We no own Yu-gi-oh-

Ryou looked over as Craven walked over to Cedric. There was a brief conversation, a murmur and exchange of whispers, and then a silence. Even from a distance and though he took no part in the converse, Ryou felt awkward at the hiatus in the tunnel of words. Cedric nodded slowly then looked out the window. Craven smiled his ever-eerie smile and messed his son's blond hair as a gesture of gratitude from what seemed like Cedric's approval. 

I don't think that was a normal question on history… Ryou told himself, still looking at the now solemn Cedric. This just isn't right… Were his last thoughts before he un-willingly gave his attention to Craven as he started his lecture. 

Ryou followed as Arata, Mariko and Kazuko left the room. But then, he paused before leaving, noticing Cedric still sitting there, staring at his binder, his right hand twitching with his pen on the paper in front of him. 

"Um, are you quite alright?" Ryou asked, walking up behind the boy, books clutched in front of his chest. 

"Hm?" He answered, not bothering to turn or acknowledge Ryou in any other way. Ryou looked over at his notes, or rather a drawing that Cedric's hand still worked over. 

"You didn't take any n-…" He mumbled, about to finish the sentence, but then stopped…The drawing captivated his attention and liking for some reason. A symbol, drawn out roughly in Cedric's pen… It had three dots, forming a triangle, with snakes forming the lines to connect them. Cedric's hand still moved to draw something in the middle, but then he stopped. Frozen, it seemed, in horror. His green eyes widened then shut tightly and he held back a painful choke. 

"Oh, I mean, I'm fine, let's go to lunch. 'M starved!" He announced, standing up and slamming the binder shut. He gathered his books then turned to leave for the cafeteria. Ryou ran up beside him and looked at him, searching for some kind of explanation, any he could find. Cedric seemed aware of the brown eyes drilling into him and he smiled. 

"Dude, truly, I'm fine! Just got a headache during class. Probably because I'm so hungry…" Ryou still didn't seem convinced and frowned slightly. 

"A-are you sure? You seemed-" Ryou started. 

"Let it go!" Cedric snapped as he turned to glare at the smaller boy, his face slightly distorted in fury. Ryou nodded and continued to his locker, which was next to Cedric's. He slammed his locker shut and looked in Ryou's.

"Dude, your locker is so neat, it's creepy." 

__

Just like you, buddy, just like you… Bakura mumbled in Ryou's thoughts. He stifled a snicker and went over to Cedric's, opening it. Books and random articles of food and clothing fell on him. 

"Uh, oops?" Cedric said sheepishly, then dragging a gawking horrified Ryou away from the mess. The tension seemed to have let up and they walked down the empty hallways in peace. The windows let in a fresh breeze and Ryou walked over to a rather large one, looking out at the town. 

"Lovely." He beamed, leaning against the bottom of the window. He reached out his hand a bit, happy there was no screen to hold him back. 

"Yes, it is, isn't it?" Cedric's normally happy voice sounded gloomy as he spoke. 

" I'm sorry." He mumbled behind Ryou. Ryou turned around and looked at Cedric, who had his face towards the ground. 

__

RYOU! WATCH OUT!! Bakura yelled at Ryou with no avail. Cedric suddenly turned around and kicked Ryou squarely in the chest. He gasped in pain and in shock and fell back. He hit the wall below the window, but it did not stop him from falling through the window. Cedric's kick was too strong for him to catch anything before he fell through the gap. He fell backwards, and could see Cedric still in the building, watching him fall. His eyes seemed as though they were trying to hide any emotion that could build inside him, remorse or pity to be exact. 

'He's falling from the fifth story. No way he'll make it." Cedric said aloud to himself, clenching his fists at his side. "No way he'll make it," He said again, this time biting his lip. He turned on his heel and walked briskly away.

Ryou saw him turn and heard several screams from the classrooms he fell by. Why would Cedric do something like that…? What had I done to make him do something so…? He did not finish his thoughts and his mind fell into unconsciousness. 

Bakura took over the now empty body and he directed himself so his feet were to hit the ground. He braced himself for any pain and held his hands forward, grabbing on to the sides of the building. He grimaced as the stone cut his hand, slowing his fall until he grabbed on to the sill of a closed window on the second floor. He let out his breath and let go, falling to the ground again, but this time at a safer height. He landed on his feet, but his ankle didn't very much appreciate the shock from the landing. Bakura sat down and studied his hands and the cuts they were decorated in. 

Teachers and students looked out the windows from above and a few ran out the door to outside, rushing to his aide. Bakura let them help him up and he went inside, ignoring their pity rants and words of caution. He went to the infirmary that the teacher led him to and growled at the nurse as she tried to wrap his hands. He insisted they leave him alone and that he could mend himself, barking it at them in an un-Ryou like manner. 

He was obsolete now, whether or not he acted like Ryou; they would think it fine, seeing that he would probably be in some emotion stress after the "near-death" experience. Bakura sat on the bed, wrapping his aching hands, thinking. 

I know this has something to do with that Craven-tyrant. That little bastard probably talked Cedric into this… Or was this his own doing? You could never tell what the hell these freaks were up to. And this is why I hate this century… Bakura grumbled in his thoughts. He lay down and looked around the dark infirmary. He didn't feel like dealing with the rest of the world right now… And since Ryou was unconscious, well, its not like he could have done anything. 

Bakura deserted the body and walked into Ryou's soul room and sat by his bed where he was. Bakura stood in front of him and stared at him.

"He is just like me when I was around his age… Funny, how one's experiences can change them. Do we all start out innocent and naïve such as him? It makes me wonder…" Bakura brushed his fingers on Ryou's face, but withdrew his rough hand as it made contact with the smooth skin. 

"We're so different. Yes, his life will be better soon enough, and there will never be a Baku-Ra again…" He retreated from his light's soul room and phased back into his body. He found no point in pushing himself to go and deal with the consequences of what had just happened so he fell into a deep sleep, not caring who would or could see him. This mess would be figured out later. 

Set- Okay, there we are. This was a little too sentimental for my taste, but there. Review, thanks. Later and at this point Rath would say "ja ne." But, my hikari's asleep… 

Rath- ZzZz

Set- Exactly. 


	7. BakuRa

Rath- Hello! Well, here's the update for _My Life sigh_!

Set- Hm. I'm thirsty.

Rath- Get something to drink.

Set- Me no wanna.

Rath- Lazy today, aren't we?

Set- Somewhat, yes.

Rath- Well, enjoy everyone. bows

Set- Indeed.

What is the point of the disclaimer? Everyone knows we don't own Yu-gi-oh- 

__

Baku-Ra…

"What? What do you want? Leave me be, fiend!" Brown eyes flashed red in panic as they swiveled in their sockets, looking for the source of the voice. They were blood shot and their pupils seemed unnaturally small. The irises hung against the tainted white and twitched with anxiety.

__

Baku-Ra… The moment is to come…Have you your salvation? A smooth call asked,sounding of neither female nor male. It echoed against unseen walls and barriers. It seemed to flutter around, effortlessly and yet it had a rare air of cunning hidden with in its depths.

"What is this 'salvation' you speak of? I have no salvation! Now leave! I command you! I no longer wish to consort with a creature like you! Let my life take its course! Leave!" Bakura shouted into the darkness, hands clenched at his sides and voice attempting to protect his bravery. It was all he had to protect him now, nothing else could help his case. He darted into the shadows, trying to leave behind the demonic whispers that beckoned him.

__

Yes, Baku-Ra, there is a sanctuary for you… You have already in your reach what you need to survive, listen to our call. You cannot escape. You know you cannot…Don't try; don't try…The beguiling voice swept across him, sending an involuntary shiver to crawl down his spine.

Bakura continued to run with a full force determination to get away from this place his reason to go on.

" Shut up, dammit! Just shut up! I need nothing!" He snapped, temper rising and showing on his face and words. Suddenly, running became a lot harder with fatigue and the ground began to wobble and tilt. It melted to a dense sticky liquid that bubbled and reached up to Bakura.

"NO! Stop it! Stop, stop!!" He screeched into the black abyss, clawing at the air like a wounded, wild animal in a cold steel cage that wished to be free once again. It climbed up his body like a rapid vine, which twisted around him, only tightening its hold. He choked and let his head fall back as a vine began to coil around his hair, then his head, then his neck. The pale skin began to steam from the intense heat of the black binds and a muffled scream came from with in.

__

This is our world, Baku-Ra. You belong here… Consider our offer… The black snaked its way around him, leaving only one hand free to remain swiping at the air. His body sunk down wards, screams of rage and pain still coming from within. The free hand came down suddenly and ripped at the black acid that covered his mouth.

" Burn in the inferno kindled from the hatred of the worlds of Earth! Suffer from the wrath and snide of disappearance from your afterlife! Forever be torture and let your blood decorate that of the weapons of Ra's guardians! I may only be one of the damn-ed from this realm, but I will not fall as the rest did, for I will be the last!" His harsh voice rang out as a bell in the night. It laughed at the dark, laughed until it could no more when the acid swallowed it back up.

He sank until his hand remained above the black. Only his hand remained above the ink but it had now gone limp with unconsciousness. A shadowy hand appeared, black and slender fingers held a gold ring, simple in looks and elegance. It slipped the ring onto his index finger then dissolving into wisps of shadow.

…

__

Baku-Ra, we know you better than that of yourself. You will reconsider and when that comes, we will be there…

" Bakura? Finally, hey guys, he's coming' around!" Arata called out to everyone. Ryo-Ba sighed with relief along with everyone else. She jumped to Bakura's bedside and tapped his head lightly.

" Are you okay? You seem ill. Perhaps you should sleep." She said, politely and meaning-well. Bakura sat up and looked around, obviously Ryou was still out cold in his soul-room. He needed the rest; it was deserved. Bakura came to the conclusion. Anyway, he could act for a few more hours. He bit back a sour comment that was about to be thrown at Ryo-Ba and her obvious remark. Ryou would never pull such an antic.

Bakura remained in his silence, eyes scanning over the group of people that were around him, despite his lids threatening to close over. He sighed and counted in his mind. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven… But no "lucky" number eight. Feh, Cedric isn't here of course… Bakura thought, extremely irritated now. What ever this stupid boy had in mind, he was going o fail miserably.

Rath- Yeah, yeah. Short. We know. But we decided we may as well fit in a short chap.

Set- Exactly.

Rath- Well, as I had said in the other fics. Updates won't come until early June or mid or later July, alright? We'll be away and busy. Well, hope you enjoyed. Ja ne.

Set- Later.


	8. No More Messes

Set- I'll be fillin' in this chapter, mates! (I picked up the damned habit from a certain someone…) Well, back to the subject at hand, Rath is "attending to some business which requires my presence. I'll be back this evening." in the words of the note that I was left. This chapter is my domain now. Well, technically… 

- We no own Yu-gi-oh-

Have fun, kiddies!

            Bakura sat quietly and patiently, watching as the seven teenagers chatted of seemingly nothing important to him. He passed the time by looking out the window and occasionally saying something very Ryou like. Such as "Now, now, please, settle down…" He waited and waited as patiently as he could for their conversation to end. It all seemed very pointless, most of it inside jokes and "half conversations" that he never could believe to decipher and its not that he would want to anyway. It didn't quite understand how these children could go on for about two hours now talking about practically nothing. Half of him was amazed and the other half was growing impatient and becoming very disgusted with them. He did try to put himself in their shoes, but with over several thousand years passing since he himself was a teenager, he found it very hard and gave up within a minute of trying. And yet, he managed to keep his face serene and happy, despite the urge to lash out and tear them limb from limb. Nothing interested him, nothing, not even a hint of local news or anything that may be of any signifigant importance. Except for the one comment that turned out to bring an interesting response.

" Dudes, does anyone know where Cedric is?" Mariko asked, looking around.

" Oh, uh, yeah, he said that he had to go home and help his Dad with somethin'." Arata said, crossing his arms. A silence followed. A very curious one at that… It didn't make sense why they'd go quiet suddenly. They had never been quiet before; this was something new… Bakura understood this rare chance to escape and he immediately formulated two plans to get out.

Number one, kill them all, jump through the window into a BMW convertible and speed off to Tokyo where he wouldn't have to deal with these morons. Or number two, which was find an excuse to get out of the room and go see what Cedric and his father were up too. Which was the best plan to choose was fairly obvious. Not the most fun plan, but the simplest and not attention-drawing plan.

 Bakura coughed to break it and said simply, while getting out of the bed that he was going to "fetch a drink." He didn't quite think Ryou would ever use that phrase but he figured why not and left the room, all children still in silence, a slight nodding, their only acknowledgment to him. He left the room, hands in his pockets. He was so damned right. The lot of them were all freaks. Pure, 100%, grade 'A' freaks. It was only surprised that Ryou didn't agree with him in the least.

He strided down the hallway smiling, happy that his body was still functioning properly and that the fall did no more harm than earn him a few bandages on his hands. And an ankle brace, which someone had put on him while he was asleep… He realized to himself. He knelt down to take it off, after all, he could feel no pain, and this wasn't his body. It was an odd side effect of possessing a mortal, but it was a good one. You could still feel a slight ache, but nothing more, so over-all, it wasn't acknowledged as a "pain" at all. At least until the original owner of the body took over, then usually he'd have to come to terms with how serious (or not) the condition the body was in. Normally, he could tell himself, but now his mind was on other matters.

He threw the ankle brace into the trashcan as he walked by it and his smile widened with a smug satisfaction that it actually landed _in _the trashcan. For that small piece of victory, it still made him a bit happy, he'd never know _why _it did, but somehow, it just did. Perhaps its just a male pride thing, he though to himself.

He left the building with ease, still set in his smug mood, forgetting about how he just sat through what he acknowledged as "one of the ultimate misery provokers." Hence, sitting with a bunch of overly hyper teenagers that would not shut up for almost anything. Almost, that was. The silence still hung in his mind, but he didn't know what to make of it. It could have just been that they had finally run out of things to talk about after two hours, but that seemed very unlikely. Something was definitely wrong with what Cedric and his father partook in. He doubted that it was child-abuse of anything of that shit. Cedric was a tall, well-built 16 year-old male. He obviously did more than your average workout per day. He was already taller than his father it seemed, Bakura thought comparing the heights mentally. And also considering where and who he hung out with, Bakura wouldn't be all surprised if he carried weaponry of sorts around with him on a daily basis. Bakura did anyway, making sure he could feel the knife still in his pocket. But as he did, his fingers felt something else metallic. He brought his hand out and looked at what it was. The ring, resting on his finger… Even when drifting back to reality he though he could feel something sliding onto his index finger, but dismissed it as his imagination. But obviously, it was not… He looked at it in horror.

Something, for months now, had visited him in his sleep, talking of salvation, talking of how his fate could be re-written. It was always the same, trapped in the dark, the voice calling out to him… He didn't know what to make of it, but it was most likely hostile, rather than it's intentions of "saving" him. Not giving it a second though, he ripped the ring off and flung it into street, watching it roll into the gutter. He would not get himself tangled further into the mess, or into any other mess anyway. He didn't really care if it was going to "save him," as it said it would, but even if it did, it would surely come with a price, one far worse than the fate that was now at hand.

He walked out of the schoolyard with no problems or interruptions, especially considering how it was still school hours. He walked down the side walk, meeting hardly anyone else but a few adults dressed formally to go to meetings and appointments, and a few other rebellious teens that decided skipping out on their education and having a fun time and smoke now was worth living the rest of their lives in constant struggle with the world, whose opinion of IQ and test scores were becoming much more important. Not that any of that bullshit applied to him, that was. After all, he was over a thousand years old, and he didn't have to work. And, even so, school would have been pointless today; Ryou was still unconscious.

He continued to walk home, undisturbed, finally making his way into the quiet neighborhood in which their house was located. He was glad to see the pale house growing larger and larger, but then paused as he realized which house he was currently in front of.

The Craven's… He turned to look at it, feeling the urge to go in and see what he could see growing stronger and stronger. Common sense yelled at him that it would be extremely foolish and not worth the trouble. Not that he listened to it anyway. He was surprised that he still even had common sense after so many years _anyway. _Considering what he had done in the past, and how unclean his track record currently was, he wouldn't be surprised if _others _thought he had no common sense what so ever. And personally, he was perfectly fine with that.

He walked up to the porch and peered through the windows that surrounded the door as decoration. Though he couldn't see quite as clearly as he would have liked, he could see no blurry shapes that resembled a human being in anyway. He quickly ran to the end of the porch and swung his head around to see if any cars were parked either on the street or on the small driveway. Nothing, no cars anywhere actually… He smirked than went up to the door and twisted the handle feeling it budge slightly, but not nearly enough to open. He frowned at this then looked around the porch for a spare key. None under the door mat, not on top of the lamp that hung on the wall, no trick bricks, nothing.

He looked at it, and cocked his head, quietly calculating the strength of the handle. It looked weak enough. And judging by how much the door let, he guess the top lock wasn't locked either. Easy enough. He grasped the gold handle firmly and fished through his jacket for his lock picks. There were many things that he carried with him that Ryou didn't know about. And surely, if he did, they would be immediately confiscated. He had already made that mistake with one of his beloved knives. Ryou had sold it to a local shop for fifty dollars. But it was worth much more than that… And Bakura had gone through a lot to steal it, from its original owner and from the shop.

He picked the lock after going through several sizes and such, and then entered the hallway, closing the door behind him. He heard clicking sound on hard tile as he did. It stopped then suddenly burst out into a full out run. The dog, Amon, came through the kitchen door, barking madly at Bakura. He braced himself, not pulling out a knife to kill it, as it would be far too messy. This dog wasn't the biggest of breeds and could be taken on, just very carefully. The dog went for his ankles (as most shepherd dogs would) he felt the dull ache in his ankle grow a bit, but now by much, on his terms anyway. It immediately began to bleed beneath the teeth of the dog as he continued to bite and scratch. Bakura dragged his foot along with the dog (and his futile attempts) out onto the porch. He then swung his leg out as if to kick something and the dog unlatched itself and skidded to a halt about three feet away, not at all prepared for what had just happened. And it wasn't about to make that mistake again. It bounded towards Bakura just as he slammed the door shut.

Ignoring the barking that resounded in the hallway, despite the thick door, he looked around the elegantly decorated house. He had forgotten how nice it was actually. Not that he really had a chance to anyway as the last time he was in a rush to get out.

And now, for some time, this house was his to explore and figure out what exactly, the Craven's were up to.

Okay. That's done. Had a nice read, ladies and gentlemen? Okay, 'till the next chap. "ja ne" and later.


End file.
